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The company originated in Hvitsten, a small town on Oslofjord in Norway, in 1848 by three Olsen brothers, Fredrik Christian, Petter and Andras, who bought their first ships and began an international shipping company. The company is now into the fifth generation of the family and operates various companies skilled within the cruise and passenger shipping trade, as well as aviation, ships' crewing, ship building and offshore industries. The Fred. Olsen group also has business interests in the luxury hotel sector, estate management,[1] property development and electronics companies.[citation needed]

For most of the year, the ships are based in UK ports, with cruises departing from Southampton, Dover, Rosyth (for Edinburgh), Greenock (for Glasgow), Liverpool, Harwich, Falmouth, London Tilbury, Newcastle and Belfast. A winter Caribbean fly-cruise programme on Braemar operates from Barbados, with connecting flights from London and Manchester.

Itineraries range from popular areas, such as the Mediterranean, Canaries, Round the UK, Baltic, Norway, Adriatic and the Caribbean, to the longer, cruise voyage routes – ‘Around South America’ and ‘Around the World’.[citation needed]

In February 2018, the company announced it would offer a unique experience to its friends: Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines announced a "Choose Your Cruise" itinerary in spring 2018. All adult travelers will vote for the ports they'd like to visit, and they'll find out the results already being on the cruise.[2]

In May 2006 Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines announced the purchase of a new vessel, Norwegian Crown, from Norwegian Cruise Line. Following delivery of the vessel in November 2007, she was dry-docked for refurbishment and lengthening, with a pre-built 30 metre centre section added. She was renamed Balmoral and entered service early in 2008. This was followed by the extension of Braemar in summer 2008. A new centre section was added, with new cabins and public rooms, increasing the size from 19,000 GT to 24,000 GT (approx).

In January 2008 it was reported that the company was considering ordering a newbuild of unspecified dimensions from a Korean shipyard.[3] If realised, the ship will be the first ever newbuild ordered for Fred. Olsen's cruise operations. However, no new ship was ever ordered (the fleet remained unchanged in 2015).